Arab or TWH

[flemmerl@rcbhsc.wvu.edu (Flemmer, Linda)]

Thiessej@aol.com wrote:
>  
> We do also have the which came first the chicken or the egg question. The
> Arabs win most of the time but most of the horses are Arabs. The stats
> therefor are heavy weighted for the results we see. If there were more other
> breeds competing the stats may be different. (They may not be.)

Jerald,

I started riding long distance in the early 1980's.  When you go back
that far, we saw almost every breed represented - TB, QH, Warmblood
crosses, Saddlebreds, TW, Paso's, Apps, and a very few Arabs.  Over the
years, the Arabs kept surprising everyone involved with their great
recoveries and with the ease with which they could be conditioned for
the sport.  As so many have said, there are superior individuals in
every breed who not only "can do it", but "do it" very well.  I've seen
QH's doing endurance - not the typical breed conformationally as well as
for muscle type... but those few do well.  As a <breed>, the Arabs found
their niche in endurance.  They were covering ground faster and
recovering quicker.  This was especially important in the heat, deep
sand & humidity of Florida where I grew up.  It was actually kind of
nice to find "their niche". Outside of breed shows, they just didn't
have the "Hunter, Dressage, or Western look".  (No bashing please - I'm
just relating the show experience/prejudice that I experienced when
riding an Arab in open shows and in the hunt field.)

Riding Saddlebreds for distance (CT & endurance) was a craze in the SE
at that time, but it hasn't seemed to hold up...  Ditto with Apps. 
There are still Apps & Saddlebreds out there, but not as many as Arabs. 
I never thought I'd become an Arab person, but my husband has to work
twice as hard to condition a non-Arab horse as I do.  It was hard to
pass up!

At the time when Arabs began to come into their own, nobody wanted their
delicate "investment" out on the trails.  (Remember the $150,000 Arab
days of the mid-1980's?)  On top of that, "They are just too little to
carry a grown person."  The fact that people used them & turned towards
them for distance despite this prejudice says something for the breed. 
I see a lot of little horse winning with big riders these days!

As for bone & feet, I'm sorry to hear you haven't seen good Arabs. 
Phenotypes vary, but my Arabs have always had substantial bone for their
size and solid, hard feet.  My old mare had 7 3/4" cannons at 14.3H.  My
current gelding Rocket is 15.3 1/2H and has cannons of 8 1/4".  Not
exactly light weights, but they weren't "floaty" show ring rejects,
either.

To me, ligament/tendon injuries are related to level of conditioning and
how hard the rider pushes the envelope of their conditioning in the
ride.  I've ridden & driven Saddlebreds for many years, even in
endurance & CTR.  I've had TB's for hunters and combined training.  I've
had some of the neatest foundation bred QH's for reining.  BUT... For a
pleasureable ride, or just to get from here to there, I could go either
way on Saddlebred vs Arab.  Both horses being equal, I'd choose an Arab
over a Saddlebred for distance work that involves speed everytime.  

The great thing about endurance is that you can come in any tack, with
any conditioned horse of any breed, and compete on your level - even at
the same event as some international competitors!  Nobody snears at you
for having the (Pick One):
Wrong Color
Wrong Saddle (brand, color, style, silver/no silver)
Wrong Trailer
Wrong barn/trainer
Wrong part of the country
Wrong bit
Wrong "headset"
Wrong attitude
Not enough money 
Wrong social class
... etc.

No matter who wins your "debate" over SB vs Arab, everybody is still a
winner in endurance.  Don't loose sight of that.

Linda Flemmer


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